EPSO Competitions Planning: Helping You Get Organised

EU Training

Below, we take a look at what EPSO competitions are scheduled for release and check-in to see how ongoing competitions are progressing.

Awaiting an EPSO exam? See what exam testing periods are coming up and how to get ready for it.

QUICK LINKS:

 

What's Coming Up?

LAWYER-LINGUISTS
Release: January 2021. The Council of the European Union, European Commission, and European Parliament will be looking for Lawyer-Linguists (AD7 grade) who are fluent in Polish, Hungarian, Irish, French, Czech or Bulgarian. Positions will be based in Brussels (Belgium), Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and Strasbourg (France). While you wait for the Notice of Competition to be released, join the conversation and connect with other candidates via the EPSO Lawyer-Linguists Facebook Group.

ADMINISTRATORS IN THE FIELD OF CHEMICALS POLICY
Release: 1st quarter of 2021. The European Commission will be seeking applications from those who have expertise in the field of chemicals policy, to join the team as an AD6 level Administrator in Brussels. While you wait for the Notice of Competition to be released, join the conversation and connect with other candidates via the EPSO Administrators in Chemicals Policy Exams Facebook Group.

ADMINISTRATORS IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Release: 1st quarter of 2021. The European Commission will be seeking applications from those who have expertise in the field of sustainable agriculture and rural development, to join the team as an AD6 level Administrator in Brussels. While you wait for the Notice of Competition to be released, join the conversation and connect with other candidates via the EPSO Administrators in Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development Exams Facebook Group.

PROOFREADERS / LANGUAGE EDITORS
Release: 1st quarter of 2021. The Court of Justice and the European Parliament will be seeking Proofreaders and Language Editors to join the team (AST3 grade), who are fluent in Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Estonian, Spanish or Greek to be based in Luxembourg. While you wait for the Notice of Competition to be released, join the conversation and connect with other candidates via the EPSO Proofreader & Editor Exams Facebook Group.

EXPERTS IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO MEMBER STATES' STRUCTURAL REFORMS
Release: 1st quarter of 2021. The European Commission will be seeking applications from those who have relevant expertise to join the team as an AD7 level Administrator in Brussels. While you wait for the Notice of Competition to be released, join the conversation and connect with other candidates via the Structural Reform Tech Support Experts EPSO Exams Facebook Group.

NUCLEAR INSPECTORS
Release: 1st quarter of 2021. The European Commission will be seeking applications from Nuclear Inspectors to join the team as an AST3 level Assistant in Luxembourg. While you wait for the Notice of Competition to be released, join the conversation and connect with other candidates via the Nuclear Inspectors EPSO Exams Facebook Group.

 

What To Do If Your EPSO Test Centre Is Closed

Many countries have introduced various forms of lockdowns and travel restrictions due to growing COVID-19 numbers. 

Consequently, some candidates may not be able to complete their computer-based tests at testing centres during the designated testing period. 

EPSO has decided to proceed with testing where centres are open. Whereas those candidates who cannot sit the exam due to test centre closures are assured that they will be able to take their exam in their preferred location as soon as those test centres reopen.

The list of test centres that are currently closed is regularly updated here.

If your preferred test centre is NOT mentioned on this list, your computer-based exam WILL take place as originally planned.

If your test centre is closed make the most of this additional practice time! Take this opportunity to gain vital tips and tricks by joining a virtual training session, or get some more practice in using EPSO-like questions. 

 

How Will EPSO's Online Assessment Centres Work...

Due to public health measures and travel restrictions in place because of COVID-19, EPSO will hold all of its Assessment Centres online for the foreseeable future. 

Candidates participating in the EPSO Specialists in Law & Finance (EPSO/AD/374/19) competition will be the first group to complete their EPSO Assessment Centre remotely starting from 23 November 2020. Other competitions expected to complete their Assessment Centres remotely sometime early next year are:

  • Administrators in the field of Audit (EPSO/AD/372/19)
  • Graduate Administrators AD5 (EPSO/AD/373/19)
  • Specialists in Legal Research - Lawyers (EPSO/AD/365-370/19)
  • Parliamentary Ushers (EPSO/AST-SC/08/19)
    Conference Operators (EPSO/AST-SC/09/19)

Remote EPSO Assessment Centres means candidates will undertake this phase of the competition via online videoconferencing at home, in the office etc. without the need to travel to EPSO's testing center in Brussels. 

Due to the nature of the online Assessment Centre, the Group Exercise has been replaced by the newly introduced Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI). All candidates that were required to complete the Group Exercise as part of their competition exams will now need to complete the online SCBI instead.

EU Training is holding special workshops for each EPSO competition's SCBI, take a look here for more details

Be prepared that the Assessment Centre exercises may not all take place consecutively on the same day, but instead will be broken up over several days. 

The process to expect for your remote EPSO Assessment Centre is outlined in this document.

LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE SPACE TO DO YOUR ONLINE ASSESSMENT CENTRE
Want to make sure no screaming kids, nosy colleagues or construction noise spoils your Assessment Centre scores? Consider using the Ambiorix Center's professional studio on exam day. Secure internet, great lighting, high-quality audio, pre-exam soothing words and encouragement. Let the Centre take care of all the technical stuff, so you can focus solely on doing your very best! For pricing and further details please contact the Ambiorix Centre directly here. 

(Please note: the Ambiorix Centre is based in Brussels, Belgium. Full terms & conditions will be provided as part of the booking process.)

 

Ongoing EPSO Competitions

Specialists in Law & Finance (EPSO/AD/374/19)

The Assessment Centre component of this competition is about to get underway. The remote Assessment Centre testing period will take place between 23 November - 10 December 2020. The SCBI assignment pack was made available on 20 November. 

If you want to prepare effectively for your upcoming remote EPSO Assessment Centrer consider these preparation resources:

  • Competency-Based Interview (CBI): There are many factors that can significantly affect your performance in the Competency-Based Interview that you may not even think of. We suggest you view the EPSO Competency-Based Interview Insights webinar and then participate in a Virtual Competency-Based Interview Simulation session to do a test run and get feedback from an EPSO expert before exam day. 
  • Filed-Related Interview: Book a one-on-one Assessment Centre coaching session where the session is tailored to your individual needs. 
  • Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI): EU Training has started up Virtual SCBI Workshops to help candidates prepare for this interview. The current sessions are all tailored to the Specialists in Law and Finance (EPSO/AD/374/19) competition's SCBI assignment pack. Once SCBI assignment packs for other EPSO competitions are released we will offer training sessions tailored to these competitions as well. 
  • Connect with other candidates via the EPSO Specialists Exams Facebook Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Secretaries (EPSO/AST-SC/10/20)

​The official computer-based tests exam period concluded on 20 November. However, many candidates have not had the opportunity to sit their exam due to many test centers being closed because of COVID-19 restrictions. See what to expect if your test center is closed. 

If you haven't taken your test yet, you can access practice sample tests, methodology webinars (many are FREE), and online training sessions via this website. 

  • Get the maximum value out of your practice simulation tests - join a virtual training session. Each training session is split into two parts and focuses on either the Verbal, Numerical or Abstract Reasoning Test. PART 1 explores test methodology, insights and tips, while PART 2 applies this knowledge to practical test simulations. See what sessions are coming up next >>>
  • If you are looking for question packages to prepare for the Microsoft Office Word skills test - keep an eye on this page. Practice questions will be loaded very soon.
  • Looking for some one-on-one personalised training assistance? Take a look at our Personal Coaching service
  • Don't forget to connect with other candidates via the EPSO AST and SC Exams Facebook Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrators in the field of European Law (EPSO/AD/381/20)

The Pre-Selection exams are about to kick off on 25 November 2020.

While the pre-selection exam only requires you to reach the pass marks for each test to move on to the next stage of the competition (according to the Notice of Competition), don't be complacent. The tests are not complicated but the strict time limits make them tough. Do some practice tests in 'exam mode' before the big day to get used to the time pressure and get familiar with the types of questions you will be asked per test type.

You can access practice sample tests, methodology webinars (many are FREE), and online training sessions via this website.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrators in the filed of External Relations (EPSO/AD/382/20)

The computer-based tests will take place at the start of the competition and are expected to occur over January/February 2021.

With so many applications received expect the competition to be tough and the overall CBT exam score threshold to be high for both grades. You will need to score one of the highest marks in these tests to move on to the next stage of the competition, as no more than 15 times the number of applicants sought per grade will be invited to the next round of the selection.

Start practicing now and boost your performance with practice sample tests, methodology webinars (many are FREE), and online training sessions. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Specialists in Legal Research - Lawyers (EPSO/AD/365-370/19)

The remote Assessment Centre testing period is expected to get underway early next year. No specific dates have been released by EPSO yet. 

If you want to prepare effectively for your upcoming remote EPSO Assessment Centrer consider these preparation resources:

  • Competency-Based Interview (CBI): There are many factors that can significantly affect your performance in the Competency-Based Interview that you may not even think of. We suggest you view the EPSO Competency-Based Interview Insights webinar and then participate in a Virtual Competency-Based Interview Simulation session to do a test run and get feedback from an EPSO expert before exam day. 
  • Filed-Related Interview: Book a one-on-one Assessment Centre coaching session where the session is tailored to your individual needs. 
  • Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI): EU Training has started up Virtual SCBI Workshops to help candidates prepare for this interview. The currently advertised sessions are all tailored to the Specialists in Law and Finance (EPSO/AD/374/19) competition's SCBI assignment pack, however, once SCBI assignment packs for other EPSO competitions are released we will offer training sessions tailored to these competitions as well. If you would like to participate in an SCBI session tailored to your EPSO competition, please let Customer Support know when your SCBI exam date will be and which EPSO competition you are participating in, so they can keep you updated about upcoming training opportunities.
  • Connect with other candidates via the EPSO Specialists Exams Facebook Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrators in the field of Audit (EPSO/AD/372/19)

The remote Assessment Centre testing period is expected to get underway early next year. No specific dates have been released by EPSO yet. 

If you want to prepare effectively for your upcoming remote EPSO Assessment Centrer consider these preparation resources:

  • Competency-Based Interview (CBI): There are many factors that can significantly affect your performance in the Competency-Based Interview that you may not even think of. We suggest you view the EPSO Competency-Based Interview Insights webinar and then participate in a Virtual Competency-Based Interview Simulation session to do a test run and get feedback from an EPSO expert before exam day. 
  • Filed-Related Interview: Book a one-on-one Assessment Centre coaching session where the session is tailored to your individual needs. 
  • Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI): EU Training has started up Virtual SCBI Workshops to help candidates prepare for this interview. The currently advertised sessions are all tailored to the Specialists in Law and Finance (EPSO/AD/374/19) competition's SCBI assignment pack, however, once SCBI assignment packs for other EPSO competitions are released we will offer training sessions tailored to these competitions as well. If you would like to participate in an SCBI session tailored to your EPSO competition, please let Customer Support know when your SCBI exam date will be and which EPSO competition you are participating in, so they can keep you updated about upcoming training opportunities.
  • Connect with other candidates via the EPSO Administrators in the field of Audit Exams Facebook Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graduate Administrators AD5 (EPSO/AD/373/19)

The remote Assessment Centre testing period is expected to get underway early next year. No specific dates have been released by EPSO yet. 

If you want to prepare effectively for your upcoming remote EPSO Assessment Centrer consider these preparation resources:

  • Competency-Based Interview (CBI): There are many factors that can significantly affect your performance in the Competency-Based Interview that you may not even think of. We suggest you view the EPSO Competency-Based Interview Insights webinar and then participate in a Virtual Competency-Based Interview Simulation session to do a test run and get feedback from an EPSO expert before exam day. 
  • Motivational Interview: This is a very unique type of interview, hence why candidates often have difficulty knowing exactly how to prepare effectively for it. We suggest you view the EPSO Motivational Interview Insights webinar and then participate in a Virtual Motivational Interview Simulation session to be tested on a number of 'likely' interview questions and learn collectively as a group from the feedback given. 
  • Oral Presentation: We suggest you view the EPSO Oral Presentation Insights webinar and then participate in a Virtual Oral PresentationSimulation session to correct any mistakes before the real thing, through the suggestions and feedback given by your trainer.
  • Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI): EU Training has started up Virtual SCBI Workshops to help candidates prepare for this interview. The currently advertised sessions are all tailored to the Specialists in Law and Finance (EPSO/AD/374/19) competition's SCBI assignment pack, however, once SCBI assignment packs for other EPSO competitions are released we will offer training sessions tailored to these competitions as well. If you would like to participate in an SCBI session tailored to your EPSO competition, please let Customer Support know when your SCBI exam date will be and which EPSO competition you are participating in, so they can keep you updated about upcoming training opportunities.
  • Connect with other candidates via the EPSO Administrator Generalist Exams (AD5) or the EPSO Assessment Centre - AD5 Graduate Administrators Facebook Groups

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parliamentary Ushers (EPSO/AST-SC/08/19)

The Assessment Centre testing period is expected to get underway early next year. No specific dates have been released by EPSO, but for SC1 grade it is planned to take place in January 2021 and for SC2 grade in February 2021. 

Start practicing now to ensure you have plenty of time to refresh the skills needed to do well in these tests. You can access practice sample tests, methodology webinars (many are FREE), and online training sessions via this website. If you feel you need some one-on-one personalised training assistance take a look at our Personal Coaching services. Also, connect with other candidates via the Parliamentary Ushers EPSO Exams Facebook Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conference Operators (EPSO/AST-SC/09/19)

The computer-based tests, e-tray exercise and Assessment Centre testing period is expected to get underway early next year. No specific dates have been released by EPSO yet. 

Take this time to prepare for your upcoming exams. You can access practice sample tests, e-tray tests, Competency-Based Interview Insights, and online training sessions via this website. Also, connect with other candidates via the Conference Operators EPSO Exams Facebook Group

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrators in International Cooperation and Managing Aid to Non-EU Countries (EPSO/AD/380/19)

  • The Talent Screener results were released today
  • Case Study exam booking period: 8-14 December 2020
  • Case Study exam date: was bumped from 8 January 2021, to some time at the end of January. No specific date has been announced. 

This is a great time to start perfecting your Case Study exam skills, and we have a great suite of resources to assist you in this endeavor. We recommend that you watch the EPSO Case Study Exam Insights webinar to understand exactly what EPSO assessors will be looking for. Then use these strategies and tips to do a couple of Case Study exam simulations, which you can then request to be evaluated. All evaluations come with a sample solution.

Also, connect with other candidates via the EPSO Administrators in International Cooperation Exams Facebook Group

 

CAST Exams

The testing periods are published on the web pages of the different EPSO CAST profiles.

If you get invited to take part in the computer-based test you will need to complete a Verbal Reasoning Test, Numerical Reasoning Test, Abstract Reasoning Test, and a Competency Test or Language Comprehension Test depending on the CAST profile.

To get you comfortable with these tests and increase your test-taking speed we recommend that you complete some practice tests under exam conditions. We have special practice packages for each EPSO CAST profile. Also, methodology webinars (many are FREE) and online training sessions are also available to take your exam preparation to the next level.

If you are new to the CAST selection process, we recommend that you watch this FREE information webcast: 2019 EPSO CAST Demystified - Q&A

Also, don't forget to connect with other candidates via the EPSO CAST Exams Facebook Group